The Lust Crusade

I’ve been enjoying Jo Segura‘s Raiders of the Lost Heart series, and the trilogy comes to a close with her latest release, The Lust Crusade. This time the archeological adventures takes us to Greece. Daniela has been in love with Theo for 20 years, but never said anything, and now it’s too late. He’s lost, presumed dead. To get some closure, Dani goes to Greece… and happens to find Theo with a pair of scary-looking guys. He’s been held captive for the past year, and since Dani can’t leave him now that she’s found him, she ends up a hostage, too. Theo and Dani are being forced to find something that may not even exist. As they search for the mythical eye of the Minotaur and a way to escape, Theo and Dani may also find themselves confronting their true feelings for each other.

What I Liked:

• Adventure full of surprises. Both of the previous books in this series were exhilarating expeditions to archeological digs. This one has those same elements, but with a lot more danger and high stakes. This is a roller coaster of chaos, and while the characters are in potential peril, there’s still plenty of humor and steam to make it fun more than anything else.
• Searching for something that may or may not exist. I enjoy treasure hunts, especially when finding the hidden object involves solving some kind of riddle or reading between the lines. Dani isn’t an archeologist, but she is a librarian who can break down a passage. I enjoyed following Theo and Dani on the most random expedition.
• Greece! I love books that feel like a vacation somewhere exciting, and that’s exactly what this book brings. Okay, so Theo and Dani are being held hostage and forced on a wild goose chase, but we still get to see so much of Greece, from Athens to Crete to the Aegean Sea, not to mention incredible buildings like the Parthenon and the Acropolis.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• You have to suspend disbelief sometimes. The bickering despite being kidnapped hostages; the random sexscapades. But it’s all part of the comedic adventure.

Final Thoughts

The Lust Crusade was a ton of fun, and a wonderful way to end the Raiders of the Lost Heart series. I enjoyed this from start to finish, silly as it sometimes was. I look forward to more from Jo Segura!

Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy The Lust Crusade here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura
Series	Raiders (#3)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	Greece
Number of Pages	384
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	June 6, 2025
Publisher	Berkley

Official Summary

A plucky librarian and an archaeologist on the run fake an engagement to save their lives, leading them into the labyrinth of their own desires.

Daniela Guiterrez has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember—until he went missing a year ago during an archaeological expedition. But on a solo trip to Greece, the intrepid librarian discovers that Theo is very much alive, although judging by the criminals holding him hostage, he is not doing well.

An expert in Ancient Greek archaeology, Dr. Theo Galanis has been abducted by artifact smugglers in search of a priceless gemstone—the Eye of the Minotaur. This ridiculous assignment was supposed to get Dani out of his system, not keep her tied up next to him. But when a little white lie spirals into his captors believing Theo and Dani are engaged, they must utilize her research skills and his expertise to solve the centuries’ old Minoan mystery, all while feigning a romance to keep each other alive.

Now with less than six days to find the jewel, underground societies, mythological beings, and pesky abductors are only half the battle. Because among the ancient ruins and temples they explore is an even bigger danger: falling in love for real.